Crimson Embrace

Chapter2

His hand on my waist lingers and I frown. I stare at him, his eyes are so blue. I remember when he used to make me happy, but that was ten years ago, and now I do not recognize the stranger before me.

"We leave in twenty." He says and walks away.

_____

I'm in the restroom again, dabbing water all over my face, trying to calm my beating heart. If I close my eyes, I can see, who we used to be, young and in love, till he broke my heart into pieces.

I walked out of the restroom, needing to get over this.

"Mila." I heard and remained still. She is the only one who calls my name like that, with so much Italia.

I look ahead and there she is -- Caterina Borgia-Gambino, Dante's mother.

"Hi, Caterina." I smiled at her beauty.

"Call me, Mom." She says, then links our hands together.

Caterina is the CEO of Gambino Inc., her husband died some years back and she has been ruling ever since.

"Let me show you how it's done." She says, and pulls me into the party, I watch as she greets people, and thank them for coming, and I start to mimic her.

"I know this might not be how you saw everything going." She says to me.

"But, you need to understand the position you're currently in, you are the Queen, a Morandi and Gambino Queen, that is power, you should be careful, people might try to take your power from you. You might hate your husband, but he is yours now, you are one."

"Do you understand, Mila mia?" She says and I smile, because she used to call me that when I was young.

I let her words sink in, the gravity and truth in it, my new reality.

"I understand."

"Good, welcome to the Family."

_____

"Time for our tradition," Mom says, as Dante and I get up, he looks at me and takes my hand.

"Confetti." She says, and the guests burst into laughter. It's not confetti.

"Ready?" He says to me and I nod.

We walk out of the church together and they all throw rice on us, an Italian tradition.

I smile as we enter the car, flicking away rice from my hair.

"Drive, Matt." He says, and realization sets in, so does the sadness as well as the memories, but I push those away, I will not come undone when the man responsible for my hurt is sitting beside me.

The car drives for the next ten minutes, and I know where we are going, the hotel -- Gambino's first building in Milan. It was built six decades ago, I've always loved the architecture and details put into it.

We are supposed to be on our way to the wedding reception but that has been postponed and scrapped from the plan because Mom and Cath have something, I wonder what it is.

I try not to think about the fact that Dante brought me to one of my favorite buildings for our wedding ni --

"Do not overplay your role, wife. Or overthink. Your Father chose this place." He drawls, and I grit my teeth, f*****g bastard.

The car comes to a halt, and I get out instantly, thankful that my wedding dress is a simple satin dress that clings to my skin.

"Hello, Mrs Gambino." I hear and flinch, what the f**k?

I stare at the beautiful hotel staff before me, probably here to make our night better.

"It's Mrs Morandi," I say, and walk inside, not before smiling at them.

"f*****g not," Dante says, walking to me, but I do not look back, just following the woman before me, who is directing us to our suite.

"Mila!" He yells, and I bite my lips, he tests my patience.

"Are you blind, dear husband, we have company?" I look at him, and I swear fire comes out of his nostrils.

"Vanish, this is my Hotel, I know where it is." He says, and they all walk away.

"Unnecessarily rude, husband." I spit at him.

"You didn't use to be this annoying." He says in amusement, and I stay still, but he opens the door to our suite and I forget what I was about to say.

"f**k you, Dante," I say, that I remember.

_______

Fuck. f**k. f**k.

I can't get out of my wedding dress. Just my luck. I swallow my pride and walk out of the bathroom to see Dante resting on the couch, his legs spread out before him, his sleeve rolled up.

"Wife." He says when he sees me, dropping the glass of Rum.

"I need help out of my wedding dress, Dante," I say, and he looks at me, for some seconds, before getting up.

"Turn." He says, his voice hoarse.

I do as he says, taking my platinum-blonde hair out of the way. I feel his body's heat as he stands behind me. He pulls the zipper down, slowly, his hand pressing on my back.

He pulls the zipper down through, then pushes the dress off my body, making me shiver.

He drops one hand around my waist, and I hear his shirt being pulled off with his other hand. He pulls me towards him until our body is pressed against each other.

"You're quiet now, love, why so quiet?" He whispers in my ear, before pulling it in between his teeth, making me moan.

"I want to eat you raw, make you forget all the filthy words you want to say to me. I want to lock every part of you, I want you to squirm for me underneath, as I thrust into you, I want to feel your body open its way for me, I want to know if it feels like the first time." He says, biting my neck, and I gasp, closing my thighs in pleasure.

"What do you say? We follow one last tradition, and have our wedding night." He says, and I face him, kissing his smile off.